Exercising-club



(No Model.)

G... P. FISHER, Jr.

' .BXEBIGISING CLUB.

Pat ent dJune 20, 1882.

r .Il

UNIT D STATES cEoReE P. FISHER, JR,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXERCISING-CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,752, dated June 20, 1882.

Application filed April as, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE P. FIsHER, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising-Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

It is a fact well recognized by gymnasts that Indian clubs and dumb-bells each possess peculiar advantages for physical culture which are not common to both. It is desirable therefore in exercising that both should be employed; but the expense of separate sets of each frequently prevents this being done. It is also customary for persons to commence a course of calisthenics with clubs or dumb-bells of light weight, and to advance gradually in muscular development until able to use much heavier ones, when those of lighter weight are discarded.

The object of my present invention is to furnish a set of exercising-clubs which shall be capable of use both as Indian clubs and dumbbells, and of such construction, also, that reinovableweights can be quickly applied thereto, as hereinafter described, so as to vary the weight'of the clubs or dumb-bells at pleasure. To this end my invention consists, first, in forming a combined Indian club and dumbbell; and, second, in providing removable weights of peculiar construction,which can be readily applied to'the clubs and dumb-bells.

In the accompanyin gdraw'ings,forming part of this specification, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent several dilferent forms of clubs em bodying my invention. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 portions are shown broken away for purposes of better illustration, and in Figs. 4 and 5 the clubs are shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 shows a modified form of handle, detached and partly in section. Fig. 4* is a sectional view on line m w of Fig. 4. Figs. 45* and 4. are top views of difierent forms of removable weights. The body of the club shown in Fig. 1 is of the shape of an ordinary dumb-bell, consisting of the portions A and A, united by the usual handle, B. In the portion A opposite the handle B is formed a socket, into which is inserted the screw-threaded ferrule a. This ferrule may be either of wood or of metal. It of wood, the grain will run la'terallyor at right angles to that of the 7 portion A, so that a screw-thread may be readily cut therein.

Into the ferrule ais inserted the contracted screw-threaded end c of the removable handle 0. When the parts of the club are in the position shown in Fig. 1 it can be readily swung in the customary manner, and when the bandle is unscrewed and removed the'body serves as an ordinary dumb-bell.

If desired, the body of the form of club shown in Fig. 1 may be made of metal, in which event the ferrule a will be dispensed with, the screw-thread being formed directly in the portion A. The handleC isin all cases preferably of wood.

t It is obvious that instead of attaching the handle 0 to the body by a screw-joint, other forms of fastening may be employed; or, if desired, the handle may in some forms of club be made integral with the bodywithont departing from the spirit of my invention.

The construction of the club illustrated in Fig. 2 does not differ, except in general contour, from that shown in Fig. 1, the portions A and 'A, united by the handle B and provided with the removable handle 0, being simply turned in such shape as to resemblemore nearly an ordinary Indian club.

In Fig.3 is illustrated the body of a third form of club, the removable handle of whichis shown detached in Fig. 3. -In this construction the portion A of the body is made separate from the handle B, which is of sufficient length to extend through portion A when the body is in correct position for use as a dumbbell, as shown inthe drawings. This portion A is bored out to form the enlarged socket a and aflbetween which is formed the screwthreaded shoulder a which works upon the threaded end a of the handle B. The removable handle 0 is provided at its end with a socket, into which is fitted the screw-threaded fer rule 0.

From this construction it will be seen that when the club is to be swung the portion Ais screwed downwardly on the handle B until it drops to the position shown by the dotted cir cle in the drawings, and the handle 0 is screwed securely upon the end 01/.

In the construction of club illustrated in Fig. 4 the bodyis formed of the two main portions A and A, both of which are bored out, as shown, the bore of the upper portion being somewhat larger than that of the lower portion. Through A and A is passed the handle 0, the lower part of which is fixed rigidly to the portion A by gluing and by the wedge 0. The portion A is free to slide on the handle 0, and is furnished at its top with the curved spring-latch E, as shown in Fig. 4

The handle 0 is provided with the circumferential grooves f and f into which catches the flat curved portion 0 of the latch E, by which the portion A of the body of the club is held at any desired position on the handle 0. The latch E can be readily lifted from the circumferential grooves by means ofits curved end 0. When the latch is in the lowest of the grooves)" the portions A and A will be held firmly together. When the club is not deemed sufficiently heavy the portion A is caused to slide upwardly on the handle 0 and in the space between A and A is inserted one or more of the weightsD. Each ofthese weights is provided with a slot, (7, so that it may be slipped over the central portion, B, of the bandle, and with a lug or pin, d, fastened thereon, which fits into a suitable socket in one of the portions A or A, and serves to hold the weight in place.

It is to be observed that the circumferential grooves f are formed a distance apart corresponding with the thickness of the weights, and thus the several parts are held securely together.

When it is desired to use the club as a dumbbell the upper portion, A, of the body is raised to the position shown in dotted lines, when the latch E fits into the groovef and retains the portion A in place, and the central part of the handle, designated as B, is grasped by the hand.

Instead of holding the weights D in place upon the handle by the pins d, the curved springs (1 attached to the weights, as shown in Fig. 4, may be used for such purpose; or the weights may be held upon the handle in any other convenient way-as, for example, by making them in two sections, hinged together at one side, and with a catch or hook upon the opposite side, in which event the slot 01 would be dispensed with, a central perforation for the handle only being required.

It is obvious that with the forms of clubs illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the weights shown in Fig. 4 may be advantageously employed, and in each instance, if made sufficiently thin to allow space for the hand, they maybe retained, if desired, upon the club when used as a d umb-bell.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a form of club in which the body is formed from a single piece of wood, the upper and lower parts of which (designated as A and A) are bored through, as shown, and are provided respectively with the female screws a and a Through the body of the club is passed the handle (l, provided with screw-threaded end 0, which, when the club is to be used as a dumb-bell, is held in the female screw a The central portion, A of the body is cut out in order to permit the central part of the handle (designated as B) to be grasped by the hand.

When it is desired to swing the club the screw c of the handle is held in the female screw a, in which case the metal ring a serves to prevent the handle from being entirely withdrawn from the body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a combined Indian club and dumb -bell, substantially as described.

2. An exercising-club having a handle or portion whereby the same may be grasped centrally for use as a dumb-bell and a handle or portion whereby the same may be grasped when swung as a club, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an exercising-club or dumb-bell, of a weight or weights provided with a slot or its equivalent, to permit the same to he slipped over the club or dumb-bell from the side, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with an exercising-club or dumb-bell, of a removable weight or weights provided with a slot or its equivalent, to permit the same to he slipped over the club or dumb-bell from the side, and having a catch to retain said weights in place, substantially as described.

5. An exercising-club having a movable portion adapted to slide upon the handle of the club, said movable portion being provided with a latch aiiixed thereto to hold it in position, substantially as described.

I 6. An exercising-club having a lower fixed portion, an upper movable portion, and intermediate removable weights, substantially as described.

GEORGE P. FISHER, JR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. RASMUSEN, JAMES H. PIERCE. 

